Futsal Team awarded $.5 million; High Court slams “entirely discredited” DJW evidence and “disingenuous” TTFA

The Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team were awarded a comprehensive victory in the High Court today, as they prevailed in a two-year lawsuit against the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) for unpaid salaries, match fees, per diems and expenses totalling roughly TT$475,743 plus interest at three per cent per annum.

The TTFA, whose action was spearheaded by controversial president David John-Williams, was also ordered to pay the Futsal Team’s legal costs of TT$69,200.82. All costs are to be paid immediately.

Photo: The Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team pose for a photograph before their CONCACAF Play Off match against Honduras in May 2016.
(Courtesy TTFA Media)

The successful Futsal players listed in the action were: captain Jerwyn Balthazar, Kevin Graham, Adrian Pirthysingh, Colin Joseph, Kerry Joseph, Jameel Neptune, Ishmael Daniel, Anthony Small, Kevaughn Connell, Keston Guy, Kareem Perry, Jamel Lewis, Noel Williams, Bevon Bass and Cyrano Glen—whose elder brother Cornell Glen was one of 13 Soca Warriors who successfully sued the TTFA in the landmark ‘2006 World Cup bonus dispute’.

The technical staff members were: Clayton Morris (head coach), Ronald Brereton (manager), Sterling O’Brian (assistant coach), Perry Martin (goalkeeper coach) and Brent Elder (trainer).


The Futsal players and staff were represented by Keston McQuilkin and Melissa Keisha Roberts-John while Annand Misir and Janelle Ganness appeared for the local football body.

Morris, who was the captain of Trinidad and Tobago’s legendary 1989 Strike Squad outfit, described Justice Margaret Y Mohammed’s judgment as a win for football.

“You have to take a stance to make the sport better,” Morris told Wired868. “People always think that if you speak up, you will be blacklisted and you will never stand a chance. I hope the result we got today can show them differently.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team coach Clayton Morris (left) gesticulates during an interview with Wired868 reporter Amiel Mohammed (centre) at the Maloney Indoor Sport Arena in March 2016.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/CA-images/Wired868)

“[…] We talk so much about the men making sacrifices for national football but I’ve been reading about [Women’s National Senior Team goalkeeper] Saundra Baron’s sacrifices on Wired868 and it hurt my heart to see it.

“I always said if I am in coaching, players must not go through what I went through; and to hear about it on the female side, it really hurt my heart. This victory is for all of that.

“I hope the other players, coaches and administrators can see this, and that it can really have a positive impact and can make things better for everybody in the future.”

The National Futsal Team’s case hinged on an oral agreement made between former TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee and Morris—in which they drew up terms of reference for the coach’s creation of a team for international duty.

John-Williams replaced Tim Kee as TTFA president in November 2015 and was in charge when the Futsal Team competed in Caribbean Football Union and Concacaf tournaments in 2016.


Photo: Then CFU president Gordon Derrick (second from left) is sandwiched by TTFA president David John-Williams (second from right) and TTFA employee Sharon O’Brien (far left) before the CFU Under-17 final on 25 September 2016 at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
John-Williams tried unsuccessfully to replace Derrick as CFU president on 23 July 2016.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

However, John-Williams ignored the existing arrangement with the outfit and the matter came to a head at the April 2016 Concacaf Championship when the football president offered US$10 per diem for players and US$20 per diem for staff, as the sum total due for their efforts.

“I’ve played football all my life and it leaves a bitter taste to have to take the governing body to court, just to demand respect,” said Morris, “for people who gave up family time and so much of their lives to do something positive for their country.

“These are players who sacrificed four days a week, three hours a day to prepare. Sometimes while they are training, their children are at the sidelines doing homework. [Guy] had a newborn baby and sometimes the mother would be there breastfeeding at 10 in the night while we trained.

“And for them to turn around and disrespect us in that way…”

John-Williams’ initial response to their claim was to pretend he did not know they existed. On Friday 21 October 2016, Misir demanded that, as a pre-cursor for consideration of their financial request, Morris and company should send the football body:

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team player Jameel Neptune (left) heads the ball during training at the Maloney Indoor Complex in March 2016.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/CA-images/Wired868)
  • The instrument of appointment of the Interim Committee of the Futsal Association; The contract or agreement or any relevant documentation whereby the terms and conditions relating to committee members were settled and agreed by the TTFA;
  • The contract or agreement or any relevant documentation whereby the appointment, terms and conditions of the technical staff were approved by the TTFA;
  • The contract or agreement or any relevant documentation whereby the appointment, terms and conditions of the players were settled and agreed by the TTFA.
  • John-Williams’ request that the Futsal outfit prove they were bonafide representatives of the TTFA, ignored the fact that, during his tenure, the local football body:
  • Never attempted to stop the National Futsal League;
  • Through its Acting General Secretary, Azaad Mohammed-Khan provided the Futsal League with isotonic refreshments and equipment;
  • Instructed the Technical Staff to select and prepare a team for the CFU and Concacaf Futsal Championships in Cuba and Costa Rica respectively and provided training uniforms, equipment and isotonic refreshments;
  • Purchased airline tickets and provided cash for internal expenses;
  • Purchased the National Team Kits, during the trip to Cuba and Costa Rica respectively;
  • Arranged a pre-tournament camp in Costa Rica, where the National Futsal Team were guests of the Costa Rican Football Federation;
  • Advised both CFU and CONCACAF of the Futsal Team selected for both tournaments; and
  • Advised Concacaf that Morris and Brereton would represent the TTFA at a pre-Tournament meeting in Costa Rica where the draw was conducted, and the tournament rules was issued.

Justice Mohammed blasted the TTFA’s behaviour in the matter.

Photo: TTFA president David John-Williams (right) performs a duet with former Calypso Monarch, Cro Cro, at the launch of the National Elite Youth Development Program at the Trinidad Hilton on 14 October 2016.

“In my opinion it was disingenuous for the [TTFA] to adopt the position it took with respect to the payment of the monthly stipends, per diem and match fees to the [Futsal] technical staff and the players respectively,” stated Justice Mohammed, “since based on the [TTFA’s] conduct, it actively led the [Futsal Team] to believe that nothing had changed and that the [TTFA] would have honoured the oral agreement made by Mr Tim Kee on behalf of the [TTFA].”

John-Williams’ own position was that the agreement between Tim Kee and Morris violated Article36(j) of the TTFA constitution, which says only the board of directors can appoint the technical staff of a National Team. Therefore, the incumbent president insisted that the oral contract should be deemed ‘void ab initio’.

The problem—as McQuilkin adeptly and flamboyantly demonstrated during his cross-examination of the TTFA president—is that the constitution John-Williams relied on did not exist until four months after Tim Kee’s deal with Morris.

“In cross-examination, Mr John-Williams’ evidence on this issue was entirely discredited,” stated Justice Mohammed. “[…] He agreed that he could not point to any evidence which stated that Mr Tim Kee could not enter into an agreement for Technical Staff for the Team or to any rule which stated that Mr Tim Kee could not have appointed, on behalf of the [TTFA] ,an Interim Steering Committee.

“[…] Therefore, based on the aforesaid articles in the constitution and the totality of Mr John Williams’ evidence, there was no basis for the [TTFA] denying Mr Tim Kee’s capacity as the then President of the [TTFA] to appoint the members of the Interim Steering Committee [and] to sanction the appointment of the Technical Staff, League and selection of the Team.”

Photo: TTFA president David John-Williams enjoys himself at former head coach Tom Saintfiet’s maiden training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on 15 December 2016.
(Courtesy Nicholas Williams/Wired868)

Justice Mohammed did not order the TTFA to pay training compensation to the players, since it could find no evidence that the football body ever offered to meet that expense. It meant that claims by Curtis Julien, Ricardo Bennett, Dwayne Calliste, Ronald St Louis, Jamal Creighton, Akeem Roach and Conrad Smith—who trained with the squad but did not represent them at either international tournament—were unsuccessful.

Otherwise, it was a full victory with legal costs attached as well.

John-Williams, who survived a motion for his dismissal at the reconvened TTFA AGM last weekend, did not appear in court today. TTFA vice-president, Ewing Davis, represented the local football body.

The ‘Futsal fiasco’ is one of several legal issues initiated during John-Williams’ tenure, which were blamed on his supposedly bombastic and disingenuous manner of dealing with employees.

Former referees committee head Ramesh Ramdhan, general secretary Sheldon Phillips, technical director Kendall Walkes, men’s head coach Stephen Hart and women’s head coach Carolina Morace also fingered John-Williams’ behaviour in their own cases against the TTFA.

In the case of the Futsal Team, Morris credited Brereton for initiating their legal stance and the players for believing in them.

Photo: Kareem Perry (centre) and his teammates juggle the ball during Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team practice in March 2016.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/CA-images/Wired868)

“I want to thank God for giving us all He did, and Ronald Brereton, who was the one with an industrial relations background,” said Morris. “Brereton took the money out of his own pocket to fund the initial lawyer’s fee for the rest of the staff and players. We then sat with the players in a meeting and said ‘this is what we should do’ and they gave us that support.

“I must thank the players for giving us the confidence, support and trust that we could represent them in court and get justice and them… It fills my heart to see we can come out today and show we didn’t waste their money, effort and time.”

Morris said one of the players asked today if the court ruling meant their Futsal careers was over. He countered that it is only just beginning.

A local Sport Hall of Fame inductee, Morris has earned praise from all corners for his work in spearheading a futsal programme in the local prisons, and he insisted there are inmates with sufficient gifts to represent their country.

He hopes to use the impetus of Justice Mohammed’s decision to further propel the sport, which, in his opinion, has suffered from the controversial machinations of its unelected president, Geoffrey Edwards.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Futsal Team Clayton Morris (left) has a laugh with Wired868 reporter Amiel Mohammed (centre) during an interview at the Maloney Indoor Sport Arena.
(Courtesy: Chevaughn Christopher/CA-images/Wired868)

“The players are elated but they just want to get futsal up and running,” said Morris. “We have to come together now and form an association like the Super League. I also want to thank Wired868 and the media for bringing these things to light.

“There is a new generation of players behind the prison walls who will be elated by this too, and I thank them for their support and prayers.

“[…] We can’t let futsal fall, or let these predators like our supposed Futsal president take the sport and do what they want with it.”

Morris said the last two years were trying ones and accused John-Williams of denying him an honorary pass for national games, which was given to many of his national contemporaries.

However, he urged fellow coaches and administrators to stand up for themselves and their players.

“Sometimes you feel if you do these things you will be denied a ticket and so on,” said Morris. “But I was in Mike McComie’ funeral this week and, when you think about it, life is too short. We’re here thinking about ‘eat ah food’ but we all have to go sometime; and the sport is suffering because everyone is only thinking about what they can get for themselves.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago defender Arin King voices her frustrations on Instagram and urges the TTFA to support the team for their 2018 Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifying series.

“We can’t be selfish and deny an opportunity to the generation coming after us. We have to make it better for everyone.”

John-Williams did not respond to a request for comment on today’s High Court ruling against his football body.

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About Lasana Liburd

Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.

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136 comments

  1. ACCOUNTABILITY! and lack thereof. The Ministry of Sports and Sports Company has a role to play but choose to remain SILENT.

  2. ..Out of touch. Doesn’t care. Too busy flying to know..

  3. “Lots of things that are coming to us are things that happened with Raymond Tim Kee. Mr Tim Kee made promises to people and did not deliver. However, David is in office and if this is football, then fine, but I cannot say that this could have been avoided. I don’t think Raymond had spoken to us about the commitments he had to anybody.”
    https://newsday.co.tt/2018/12/21/ttfa-vp-not-aware-of-mens-woe/

  4. Many of you are only concerned and happy about him “giving” you the home of football. While you do so, no focus on process. Your argument is this “we want the ends and don’t care about the process/means”. So do it even with no accountability or transparency. Is that the TT we want ?

  5. Playing devil’s advocate here – is it that when the Home of Football is build’t and income is generated by TTFA, does the president get to say – I told you all so? I’m thinking that this is the strategy…

    • Maybe so Tony. The thing is sport tourism isn’t a ready made market for Trinidad and Tobago. So it is a bit naive to think that because you have a venue, teams will just start flooding in.
      TTFA has apparently not done a cost analysis or budget–DJW did not answer when he was asked about this in the AGM–so it is a shot in the dark.
      I’d say you need a considerable budget to market your facilities in North, South, Central America and Europe. And even there is no guarantee.
      There is a higher chance that upkeeping that venue would be a drain on our resources rather than the other way around.
      I remember we once had tutors with national youth teams up to about six years ago. But that stopped when we couldn’t pay them.
      Best case scenario, I’d love to see youth teams housed there regularly with tutors and chefs enjoying they eat right and study.
      But the TTFA is essentially insolvent by the looks of it now. So we have to be realistic.

    • Anthony Sherwood how would anyone know if it was a financial success with all overhead and other costs being kept under wraps?? Not even the board knows what is being spent bro..

    • The only ah told Alyuh so that my dictator President will be saying eh, that he finally got a home of Football with field included for his professional team W Connection eh , and that is where all of his home games are playing? Them really good yes

    • But Anthony, people have not really been against the idea of the HOF or its potential. They want transparency, that’s all. Regardless if it’s successful or not, transparency should be part of the package. So even if he has an “I told you so moment”, it still doesn’t absolve him from his responsibilities.

    • Good question and good points. I do hope he and the Board find a way to make it work because it could make money as much as lose money. One thing is certain….regardless if money is made….maintaining 6 fields [cut/roll/machinery/water/fertilize] plus a Building in a tropical climate will require a good deal of income if it is to be maintained to ‘compete’ as an alternative to other local & foreign accommodation.

    • And you know dem people record when maintaining the fields for the beautiful game eh up to this day Mannie Ramjohn and Larry Gommes stadiums is still without the lights and doh ask for the legendary Arima Village dome eh it is very heart wrenching whenever I visit the stadium and see the conditions that it is in eh a once upon a time World Cycle track plus when the football playing the stadium use to be ram to capacity eh Them really good yes Nicholas Lochan

    • Sherwood I think that my main two concerns about this project has been…..firstly how can all the resources be put into this project at the expense of so many others falling by the wayside. 2ndly (and maybe a bit suspiciously) I harbour concerns that since he’s being do secretive about this project what “contractual conditions” has he put in place to reap some sort of “personal” financial benefits even long after his time with the ttfa is up. He clearly doesn’t do things unless he has something to gain from it….his legacy be damned.

    • Just asking

      Would the home of football be eligible for funding, under a grass roots programme from fifa?

  6. Ancil LeRoy James They were getting the monies that was promised to them eh, which was about $ 5000 monies per player and when a little birdie told them the amount of millions that the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies was going to the bank smiling with eh it was only then for the first time our players finally got plenty balls and took them to court especially when the sponsors also gave over 200 million of monies eh and it is a very lucky thing that the team didn’t have plenty army players on the team because as every body knows that the army players cannot be involved in any suing the corrupted Jack Warner and TTFA so they didn’t ended up like the Strike Squad players that got nothing when they played against my second sweetest country back in 1989 eh and this also set the trend for all others moving forward to take their behinds to court including the coaching staff whenever they try that madness the same like back in the days Them really good yes

  7. When allyuh appointed DJW what allyuh was thinking?Transparency Good Governance?

  8. After world cup 2006 our national players had to sue TTFA to get the monies that were promised to them, even though in 2018 the TTFA has a new president it still operates the exact same way it did in 2006. Reason being the same ppl who made up TTFA in 2006 are the same ppl who are in it today. I also see some of them on this very thread making comment like they are any different from DJW. Ppl let tell youll this DJW may be bad for our football but those who claim to they would do better than him are just the same as him. TTFA needs to be dissolved and start a fresh with new ppl and ban all those who are in it now from ever holding any position in it. Real talk.

  9. More and more litigants will prevail against DJW’s TTFA while the weak will continue to claim its DJW vs. KLL. They will ignore that Allan Warner and Joanne Salazar, two of his hand picked VPs chose to not have their careers, image, brand and business associated with DJW.

  10. Can we stop acting like a ‘banana republic’ … all this evidence of mismanagement and we are still at a judging criteria. “Should he stay or should he go”
    That is why these people are successful at what they do… they know that we love and thrive in the ‘crabs in a barrel’ mentality… all show and no stones to back up our athletes…
    All talk.. that is why he will continue to be in power..
    The NAAATT is the same thing… a power hungry President… but we as Trinidadians like it so.. we talk … and we talk…

  11. ..Spoiler Alert: The Big Boss doh care what allyuh say. He sat grinning like a fat Cheshire cat while Downer was moving his motion last Sunday, knowing it was all he needed because he has the votes of the bankrupt GM. The whole country seeing what going on except his cohorts in TTFA. They doh care either..

  12. Well maybe they can be paid from the 10 million of monies that was given by NLCB since it seems that nothing isn’t going on with the youth developmental program eh or even that money also went to the Home of Football Them really good yes

  13. So the judge said the Futsal team should be paid immediately. How likely is that? Doesn’t he know there’s a long line of people and organizations who are owed dollars? Should they be paid ahead of Latas, Corneal, and others? Hopefully the Futsal team members are not counting on any pre-Christmas dollars from the TTFA.

  14. Well done Clayton Morris I guess that you learnt your lesson the hard way when Marlon Morris and others was telling you to organized the Players to sign a document to make certain that the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies gave Alyuh plenty monies from the thousand of monies that was made in 1989 when our Strike Squad vs my second sweetest country and what Alyuh got eh nothing ent Coach Earl Carter Them really good yes

  15. Congrats on your win Melissa Keisha Roberts-John.

  16. Well done by the courts. Good article also. Where is the DJW man. Case done, he could talk now. TTFA have money to pay that though? They always broke

  17. But David John-Williams survived the vote of no-confidence. So what is the next step?

  18. So with all the shite that needs revamping in America …..Trump wants to build a wall and neglect everything else…….and now with all the shite that needs revamping in the TTFA DJW wants to build 4 walls and a roof and neglect everything else ….and someone of his supporters say that’s his legacy lol ….

  19. And the TTFA just posted this with Stuart Charles-Fevrier talking about the Home of Football and licensing courses for coaches who may have to take them to court to be paid judging from recent history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUV1yeYMiFk

  20. Imagine a national team have to go to court to get paid fees owed to them via DJW and yet PEOPLE on here trying to change the narrative as how it’s a personal thing with KLL and how DJW enthusiasm prevents him from consistently performing to protocols. Thank the Lord for the intelligence to see through the bullshit people peddle without having to state my educational credentials to establish credibility lol

    • And they will talk about him erasing Tim Kee’s debt and never mention the mushrooming payments to attorneys and to pay for court defeats. Man hasn’t won a SINGLE case.
      Reginald Armour SC might have smelt the rat because he vanished after the first Telemundo case.
      Makes you wonder how much of the money owed to coaches and players are going to Annand Misir for his courtroom work.
      They might as well name Misir technical director. Lol.

    • Lasana Liburd you best retract that statement ….since apparently as wired CEO you’re not entitled to an opinion if it is perceived as anti DJW. Surprise nobody eh jump in yet to say they eh see WConnection scores today ? #theredirectionisreal

    • Hahahaha. People need to grow up and understand that people who follow a particular industry every day for how many years, would be either lying or dumb if they said they had no opinion.
      They are EXACTLY the people you’d expect to have an opinion.
      What counts is that you can defend every line you write and are fair to all parties.
      Decisions like this further prove that everything is not okay with local football.

    • Lasana like we needed more confirmation lol

    • Lasana – Don’t you think it’s inappropriate / unprofessional to serve as journalist/story writer, editor and blogger. A bit of a conflict to wear all those hats. I can’t understand how you can write the stories and also blog to shape the direction of the narrative. I think it’s more appropriate for you to allow bloggers to debate and maybe you moderate or mediate, but you can’t be wearing all those hats. Just saying.

    • Carlos I try to ensure that my opinion is based on something I can point to.
      Fazeer Mohammed will do a sport story and then write an opinion piece. Name a writer you respect and they do it.
      For sure, I won’t try to take over the conversation in the thread. For the most part, the thread belongs to the readers.
      But I can also point you to writers who interact with readers. I’d think that would be a plus rather than a minus.
      Yuh want me to hush? Lol.
      It’s true that it helps when a journalist’s work is seen as impartial. But it is more important that a journalist’s work is factual and mirrors what is happening on the ground. I try to do that.

    • Lasana – definitely don’t want you to hush. We need you to moderate and to use your knowledge to correct inaccuracies in comments etc. What you should try hard to avoid doing is directing or shaping the blog / debate / discussions one way or the other. Be neutral and allow civilize debate and discussions to occur.

    • Carlos you think I’ve shaped the discussion on this thread?
      I certainly wouldn’t want to do that. My job really is to present the information needed for a worthwhile discussion.
      I have an opinion too but I wouldn’t want to be—for want of a better word—too pushy.
      So I’ve no problem with that.

    • Lasana – I think you were possibly unintentionally, doing that via your back and forth with Malik. I know it’s tough, as you obviously have an opinion on the topic/subject. But we need a neutral moderator, particularly for the stories written by yourself.

    • Sana, hush nah boy! Cool it! Cool it nah!!???????

    • Hahaha. Point taken though Carlos. Obviously this is a story we have followed for two years. So I would only be human to have a reaction. Just as with Thema Williams.
      So if overdid it a bit, my apologies. ??

    • So to be clear Carlos yuh indirectly saying that I’M a bad influence on Lasana? Lol oh lawd lol

    • Carlos you have no shame lol. But let me put forth a miniature defense ( because I know some of yuh minions watching….waiting …eh Travis? Lol). If I’m being honest….all Lassana does is relay the information informatively to his audience. Bias and impartiality imo is a perception I believe imparted upon what side of the story the audience is on. If you watch the stories he puts forth….are they fictional or truthful? Isn’t that what you essentially want as an audience? You get the facts to create ‘your’ opinion. Lasana is entitled to his opinion about things whether you agree with it or not as long as his articles are based on factual representation of the circumstances. The truth is the ttfa under DJW has been simply f**king up unerringly for years this isn’t difficult to highlight. As for my demeanor…. I used to be alot more diplomatic in relaying my take on things but if I’m being honest…I’m tired and I’ve lost patience a long time ago with the scenario……probably why some my deliveries comes across a lil aggressive on the odd occasion ?

    • Malik Johnson – on the odd occasion? You joking right? ?

    • Malik, I now catch myself… TTFA lose a half a million dollar case and Carlos have ME under the spotlight and not DJW yes!
      Carlos allyuh really good yes! ???

    • I think Mr Lee left to write his own story.

    • Apparently what members want is for Wired to be an anti DJW / pro KLL propaganda machine rather than a forum for open discussions and debate. I think Lasana should revisit his original mission/vision statement and edit accordingly.

    • Carlos Lee I think you giving DJW way too much props to think he is that important a topic that his existence defines what this forum is. His actions has defined the general impression of him from most members on this board. He’s been weighed measured and found wanting. Lasana doesn’t need to revisit anything you just need to recognise that people have an ability and a right to make up their own mind on people and situations. Disagreeing with corrupt practices make a forum bias but agreeing with it evens it out? Absolute bs ….

    • Carlos simple question, has anyone in this forum ever asked you to withhold your views? I cannot recall anytime anyone being asked to withhold their views (I stand corrected). My point is, once everyone is free to express his/her views it is not a biased forum, although percentages may not favor your views. That is what an open forum is. Many times Sana jumps out with his personal take and he get stick just like you.

    • Junior – I hear you. My concern is Wired is starting to come across as an anti-DJW / Pro-KLL propaganda machine. There are so many factors affecting football in Tnt, but the focus here just seems to be on bashing and getting rid of DJW. DJW is a problem, but he’s not THE main reason why football is where it is. One of the biggest problem is lack of funding, which all would agree was not caused by DJW. We also fail to understand our role in the demise of football. We cry about the lack of funding for the women’s program, but how many of us have attended a women’s game? How many of us donate to the women’s program or encourage the businesses where we work to contribute to the women’s program? Same for the youth and men’s program. How many of us attend a pro league or Super League game? Or buy a national team, pro league team, or super league team shirt? We just complain and bash, but we don’t contribute to the football programs. Look at KLL, he has full control over the super league. It’s an independently run league. Yet he hasn’t been able to get as much as $1 in sponsorship for the league. Is that DJW fault? No – it’s us, who are not will to put our money where our mouths are. We want change, we want a successful football program, but we are not interested in spending our dollars to help make it happen. Anyway – that’s my contribution for the day. Back to wuk?

    • Nah, yuh just have to recruit more people who share similar views to you. Yuh only have Clarkie and Travis batting in yuh side! Yuh need a full team.???

    • Allyuh keep waiting on ah TTFA messiah.

    • Carlos it is funny how you equate anti-DJW to mean pro-KLL. You sure that isn’t YOUR bias man? Lol.
      Content alone doesn’t define a forum btw.
      I’d say about 80 percent of Wired868 stories criticized the Police Commissioner’s loud bravado, 75 percent are against the death penalty and 90 percent are against extra judicial slayings.
      And on every one of those topics, the Wired868 writers and myself are soundly criticized by maybe 70 percent of the readers and more.
      Our readers make their own minds up. And I doubt you seriously think that many of these people who debate with you don’t have minds of their own.

    • Lasana – many of them follow your lead?

    • Nah. They are responding to the realities of the situation. Not me. I didn’t make up the Futsal decision. The High Court did.
      It wasn’t me who has been consistently eliminating T&T teams at the Caribbean stage or not paying coaches and players.
      That’s what I think they are responding to. Not me.

    • Junior Noel He wasting time with Carlos Lee..

    • You all should probably look at the structure of the TTFA to see if it lends itself to successful leadership.
      When I first joined this group, RTK was president and the group was decidedly anti-RTK. I don’t know who was TTFA president before that. I know Oliver Camps was president at some point but my understanding is that he was intimately tied with Jack. So…
      As to Carlos’ point about Lasana and/or wired868 influencing public opinion regarding football matters, I would say I completely see his point.
      DJW won the last election and I think based on the coverage and the greater number of favourable stories published here about DJW compared to other candidates, it wouldn’t be hard for a media scholar to say that had some influence on the final vote and what I would call the blind love (at the time) for DJW.

    • Chabeth – Lasana fully knows and understand the power of his pen. But as Spiderman’s dad said – with great power comes great responsibility. So Lasana – be careful how you use your pen?

    • Carlos here’s a thought …as a little boy DJW actually sponsored a youth team I played be with for travel games like a touring team. When he put forth his bid for the presidency I supported wholeheartedly because I thought that the man I knew was the man who would step up to the plate. A person once told me that you get the true measure of people when you have them power or money their true nature comes to the fore. You used Spiderman’s uncle Ben quote “with great power comes great responsibility” and applied it to Lasana…..suppose we flipped the script and applied that to DJW ….. what would uncle Ben think ….. power corrupts ……….

    • Malik – the phrase also applies to DJW. As I’ve said time and time again, DJW is part of the problem, but is not THE main problem. Too much focus on him and not enough on the other factors that is affecting football. Getting rid of him does not equate to a solution. We had Jack, O. Camps, and Tim Kee. Let’s learn from our history. Let me ask a question. What do you do when you have to work for a less than suitable boss? Do you focus on getting rid of him? What options are typically available to most?

    • Carlos about eight months ago, the board voted to take control of the Home of Football from DJW. It’s like it never happened.
      We’ve seen the membership demand things—be it removal of Wayne Cunningham from board if he continues working for TTFA, or answers on I95.5FM contract—and are just ignored.
      So I agree that DJW is not the only problem. But if he is moving like a law to himself then obviously if things aren’t going well, who should pay for it?
      Even if they were NOT going well, he should pay for it. But worse when they aren’t.
      I still disagree that Wired868 is putting thoughts in anyone’s head. We’re just providing info. And people look at info and make their own minds up.
      Allyuh getting on like Justice Margaret is a Wired868 reader too! ?

    • Carlos sound point if you continue with that level of logic we might actually be in danger of actually agreeing on a point lol. As for the director of the dept where I work attempts at ending his life may or may not have been attempted on different occasions at varied venues lol lol

  21. Brian, I’m waiting for the attorneys for the defendant to arrive. Lol.

  22. ..Expect problems there. No one voted for the guys in charge. They were installed under RTK and remain in office as a support for the Big Boss..

  23. This man should be given a barber scissors and sent to cut all the football ground in T&T for the next 2 years as punishment or penance for what he did to local football.

  24. US$10/day per diem…
    Look…
    But didn’t Futsal have some issues with a constitution and who was a legit rep of the Futsal association? That got sorted out.

  25. Do not be frightened to stand up against the false promises and deceitful administration under Disastrous John William and the fools that follow cap in hand!
    THINK ABOUT THE KIDS!!!
    They do not deserve this sell-out of local football.

  26. I am still of the feeling that if sporting officials purposely make these type of errors they should pay for it personally, as I said before I wish no one bad. But a day will come where an officials loss his private belongings etc house and vehicle and they are on charlotte street in they underwear they will not get the message

    • Dexter that’s what was missing with the TTGF case. I agree.

    • Dexter you will never get anyone volunteering their time if that were the case. Remember, whatever you think of those who run sporting NGOs, these are still unpaid, voluntary positions. Who’d want to do that with the threat of personal liability hanging over their heads?

    • Depends on their actions. If people are willing to bring clear vindictiveness and spite into their duties, we are better off without them.
      But we need to find a way to separate the well intentioned dullards from the mean ones.

    • Lasana it’s all in the corporate documents. It’s a very high bar to prove individual liability.

    • Nigel and it should be a high bar. No doubt. If the TTGF quartet didn’t breach it, it’s hard to see who will be deemed to have done so.
      But then I’m still waiting to see what about the Home of Football’s finances seem to have DJW so jittery.

    • Nigel S. Scott I agree with you then they could stay home and plant corn that maybe better for them and the sport they claim to be falsely serving. I can tell you from experience all officials are not bad but the rotten apples spoil the whole tree dexter st loius

    • I hear you. Ultimately the buck stops with the NGO, the organization (which is to say, the Board) has to do a better job of vetting its members. If the Board appoints members who then go on to commit acts that exposes the organization to liability, then as long as said officers are not guilty of malfeasance, betrayal of their duties of care and loyalty, or otherwise not acting beyond the scope of their authority… then they are shielded from personal liability, and it’s the Board to pay for failing to do its due diligence in appointing and overseeing them.

    • Nigel S. Scott Nigel I agree with you once again, but is this type of protocol that protects them. If at some point we do not take the bull by the horn then change will never come.

    • Some of that protection is necessary though… again, otherwise you discourage the well-intentioned from serving. So my argument (and the way the law functions) is that the Board has to prospectively weed out the bad actors before they even join the Board.

    • I have to disagree with Nigel. You clearly don’t know greedy officials. They will volunteer for freeness and favours. Plus if they intend to do the right thing it would not have a problem. All NSO’S have greedy officials past, present and future. They got away with a lot of wrong doings, now this is a different era. Thanks to sports lawyers.

    • Well, I don’t know much about non-profit boards… or the law. So there’s that.

  27. ..A lesson here for all the cowards and hangers on in TTFA. Stand for the right thing. Because in the end the truth will out. It is instructive to note that the officials of futsal didnt help Clayton and the futsal boys in this. Indeed, the left them to swing in the breeze. Cowards, parasites and do nothings all. Well done futsal boys..

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